Is Singapore still South-east Asia’s headquarters haven?
Business hubs are flocking to the city-state, as lower-value activities move offshore in the region
Singapore remains a dominant hub in Southeast Asia for multinational businesses despite some major corporate exits in 2026, according to experts. Headquarters and professional services activities made up 62.5% of total business expenditure commitments in Singapore in 2025, a sharp increase from 27.2% in 2021. Meanwhile, general manufacturing's share of annual total business expenditure shrank to 0.1% from 2.1% in 2021.
Large corporations like H&M and Yeo Hiap Seng have shifted certain operations to Malaysia, while maintaining headquarters in Singapore. But economy watchers remain confident that Singapore will continue to attract investments from a diverse range of companies, including mid-sized and high-growth enterprises. The city-state's appeal lies in its high-value headquarters position and the broader Southeast Asian region's cost-competitive production base.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
